AUGUST 17, 1998:
It's been a few years since you bought your computer, but you can still hear the
salesman's voice like it was yesterday. "Is it upgradable?" you meekly
asked, not sure what the word really meant, but certain it was important because
all of the ads mentioned it. "Upgradable? Are you kidding? This baby is fully
and completely upgradable," assured Smiley Salesperson. "You can upgrade
this puppy to your heart's content. Heck, keep upgrading and this computer will cure
cancer!"

Now, two or three years later, you're wondering exactly what he meant. Of course
your machine is upgradable. All you need is degrees in electrical engineering and
computer science from MIT and you can upgrade that thing any way you wish.

Actually, there are a lot of upgrade options that might make sense for
you. With a little know-how and research, it should be no problem to navigate the
maze of options available. Hey, you mastered e-mail, didn't you? Let's look at internal
upgrade options for PCs; next week, we'll talk about other PC options and Mac upgrades.

The first thing to decide is if it's worthwhile to even consider upgrading your
PC. Is it a 386 or older? It'll make a nice doorstop, boat anchor, or with a little
imagination and some spray paint you can have a lovely techno-junk objet d'art. Your
best bet is to donate your machine and buy a new one, though many places don't accept
386 or older systems. You can always try the Smithsonian or Henry Ford Museum.

Got a 486? Depending on your needs, there are several options you may want to
consider. If you have a first-generation Pentium, there are some excellent upgrade
options for you. But with prices on new systems running much less than you probably
paid for your old system, you need to ask yourself just how much you're willing to
spend upgrading a machine that will never truly compete with the latest and greatest.

Big, fast, high-performing Pentium II systems are available for less than $2,000.
For less than a grand you can get a good Pentium system, and probably an MMX. These
systems will probably outperform your old computer no matter what you do. Look at
your upgrade options. Decide which options best fit your needs and price them out.
Compare the total cost to new system prices. If the upgrade total is more than 50%
of the new system price, go for the new system.

Upgrades are like potato chips -- it's hard to stop at one. Once you catch the
bug, you'll likely want to do more upgrades in the future.

illustration by Jason Stout

If you're not careful, you may end up spending more money in the long run for
less computer. Done right, though, upgrades can help extend the useful life of your
computer and put off the expense of a whole new system.

How do you decide what options are best for you? First, take an honest look at
how you currently use your machine. Do you surf the Web or just send and receive
e-mail? What kind of applications do you use -- graphics, audio/video and
drafting or spreadsheets, word processing and data bases? Do you play a lot of games
on your computer? How important is multimedia performance to you?

If you're mostly using e-mail, spreadsheets, and word processing, you don't need
a lot of computing power. A 486 with 16 megs of memory is fine for these kinds of
applications. If you do a lot of graphics, design, or drafting, or if you think you
will in the future, you'll need as many cyber ponies as you can get.

If you're a big game fan, you'll want a super-fast system with special 3-D enhancements
and a big monitor. Consider a new Pentium II 400. Or consider a 64-bit game system
like the Sony Playstation or Nintendo 64. For around $200, you'll get a game system
that will run circles around even the biggest and fastest PCs.

Upgrades may seem unnecessarily complicated, but part of that perception is the
way most people think about computers. Computers are generally considered as a single
item, like a television set. It's really a collection of separate elements, more
like a component stereo. You can buy better speakers without replacing your entire
stereo, but you may find your new speakers stress your old amp. Computer components
are much the same.

You can upgrade just about everything in your machine. A new modem may give you
faster Web browsing and downloads, as well as the ability to use your computer as
a voice-mail system or fax machine. More memory will make everything run better.
A new CPU may be an option. A bigger hard drive, faster CD ROM drives, CD recorders,
DVD players, TV tuners, 3-D video accelerators, and even a whole new motherboard
are also options. My Dell is the same old box on the outside that I've had for almost
three years, an eternity in the PC world, but almost every single internal component
has been replaced at least once.

Inside The Box

Here's where most people bug out on upgrades: "I have to open the case? Forget
it. I have no idea what I'm doing. I'll just screw it up." But the inside of
your computer is really not such a scary place once you learn your way around. Upgrading
your computer may be easier than programming your VCR.

Unlike a stereo or television where everything is soldered down, the inside of
a computer is a collection of parts, almost all of which can be replaced with better
parts. Unlike your car, the parts are all pretty visible and accessible and most
just snap in and out of place. With few exceptions, a screwdriver and a pair of needlenose
pliers are the only tools you'll need.

There are a few basics you should know about hardware upgrades before taking the
case off your computer, though. Failure to follow proper procedures can result in
an unacceptably high "fried" factor, meaning if you blow it, you may well
really blow it. Relax. It's not brain surgery. You just have to be a little
careful.

Before you start, it's important to discharge static electricity from you and
the immediate surroundings. Don't try this if you have heavy shag carpeting. Then
again, if you have heavy shag carpeting I'm guessing computer upgrades are not nearly
as big a concern as, say, how to fix an 8-track player. The best way to do this is
to use static discharge wrist straps. One end straps to your wrist, the other is
grounded.

The easiest thing to do is set up a work area with everything you will need to
do the job. Turn off the power. (Note: For best results, get a power strip
or power supply with good surge protection. Plug everything into the power supply
and turn it on and off together). Give the machine at least 10 seconds to discharge
any remaining static or current after powering down.

With the power off, but the computer still plugged in, touch one of the metal
chassis screws on your case. That sure was tough, huh? You have now effectively discharged
any harmful static electricity. As long as you don't go somewhere and come back,
you should be safe. If you do, lather rinse, repeat. Now you can unplug your computer
and get started. Important: You must use a properly grounded three-prong
with a three-receptacle outlet! Without a good ground, you run the risk of severe
damage! If you must use an adapter, make sure it is securely grounded.

Now you can safely remove the case, or sides, for tower systems, and get at the
guts. If you're not familiar with the inside of your computer, it's a good idea to
take some time and use your user's guide as a road map to familiarize yourself with
the basics. Find the CPU, the hard drive, the floppy drive, and/or the CD ROM drive.
Locate the memory chips. Locate and identify any expansions cards, such as internal
modems, sound cards, video cards, etc.

When replacing internal components, make sure not to push or pull anything too
hard. Everything should snap in and out of place. Components fit snugly and may need
to be seated firmly, but be careful not to force anything.

SCSI

To SCSI or not to SCSI? Actually, the question is what the hell is SCSI and do
I need it? SCSI, short for small computer systems interface, is a way to connect
up to 15 devices such as hard drives, CD ROMS, floppy drives, scanners or printers
to one computer. A special SCSI controller card is needed to use SCSI devices.

SCSI controllers can move data much faster than the interfaces built into your
computer. You can also add more devices than you otherwise could. The downside is
SCSI stuff is generally more expensive. Most users do not need SCSI. However, if
you are serious about audio or video production, you'll want to go with SCSI devices.
The faster transfer rate greatly reduces errors in sensitive multimedia files.

Memory

The easiest and cheapest way to improve the performance of any machine is to add
memory. Memory prices have tumbled in recent years to less than a dollar per meg.
At that price there's no reason not to have at least 32 megs of RAM. More is better.
This is also an upgrade that is easy to do yourself, and you'll save the $30 average
install fee.

Check the user's guide for your PC. It will show you the location of memory chips
as well as tell you how much memory you can use and how it must be configured (often
memory chips must be installed in pairs). Once you get the right chips for your machine,
you just need to pop them into the correct sockets. Your computer will find the new
memory automatically next time you start it.

Hard Drives

Short on disk space? An additional hard drive will give you all the room you need.
Installing hard drives is fairly simple, especially if you're running Win95/98.

More hard-drive space greatly increases the possibilities of what you can do with
your computer. Graphics applications, audio or video processing or editing, and other
multi media applications use tons of disk space. The more you have, the more you
can do. With enough disk space and the right software, even a 486 can be used for
studio quality offline audio editing or good quality offline video.

Like pretty much everything else in the computer world, hard-drive prices have
dropped dramatically. And as prices drop, drive capacity has increased. A 1 gig HD
was pretty big three years ago; 3 gigs was huge. Today, you can get hard drives with
16.8 gigs of space, and that 16.8 gig HD is likely to cost the same or less than
that 3 gig HD cost three years ago. You can pick up a top quality, high-capacity
hard drive today for under $200.

Hard drive installation is not the daunting task you think it is. Basically, you
put the new drive in your computer, hook it up, feed it power and away you go. You
may have to fiddle with jumper settings, tiny posts covered (jumped) by small connectors.
You'll find the correct settings in the installation guide. Can't find the guide
for your new or old hard drive? Visit the manufacturer's Web site.

Most computers will automatically recognize the new drive. Some may not. You may
have to manually adjust BIOS settings for your machine. Some machines have a key
command during the boot process that accesses the BIOS. Others require a program
on a floppy drive. Consult your user's guide for details.

The final hurdle, if you get a large HD, is your computer may not be able to see
the entire drive. Almost all DOS and Windows machines have an 8.4 gig limitation.
Only the latest versions of Windows 95 (available only with new computers) or Windows
98 can access the full capacity of drives larger than 8.4 gigs.

Many machines have hardware limitations that are even lower. The easiest way around
this problem is to download a BIOS extending utility such as MaxBlast. You should
be able to download this kind of program for free from your HD manufacturer's Web
site.

The top-rated hard drive manufacturer's currently are Maxtor, Quantum, Western
Digital and Seagate. Go with one of these and you can be assured a quality drive.
My personal preference is the Maxtor Diamond Supra series, but I have also been happy
with Quantum and Western Digital drives. About 18 months ago I bought a 2 gig HD
for $300. I figured this was a pretty good deal. Today, I see 13.6 gig drives for
only $50 or $60 more.

In addition to capacity, bigger is usually better; look for the speed rating.
Seek times anywhere under 10 microseconds is very fast. Also, the higher the top
RPM, the better the performance.

Another option for expanding storage space is to use an add-on drive like a Zip
or Jazz drive. These kinds of drives use removable disks with much higher storage
capacity than a regular floppy. A Zip disk holds 100 megs of data. A Jazz disk holds
1 gig. If you get the external version, these drives are portable. You can take it
with you and use it on any machine.

They're also convenient for backup. You do backup, don't you? You should. A friend
came to me recently to see if I could recover data from his crashed hard drive. The
drive had an internal mechanical failure, which, in English, means I couldn't do
squat for him other than refer him to a place with a clean room where they'd charge
him through the yin-yang and there was still only a 50/50 chance of recovering his
data intact.

The drive contained 20 years worth of music business contacts around the world
as well as business records and other stuff he just plain didn't want to lose. He
told me he was literally on his way to buy a Zip drive the day before the crash when
he got sidetracked. Too bad. For $100, the price of a Zip drive, he could have had
full backup copies of his important data.

CPU

The CPU (central processing unit) is the brain of your system. One of the big
selling points for PCs is that you can upgrade the CPU. This is true, kind of. If
you have a 486, you can't just yank it out and pop in a Pentium. It won't fit. Likewise,
not all Pentium chips fit in the same socket. It depends on your motherboard.

You can upgrade your 486 to Pentium-class performance with an overdrive processor.
An overdrive processor is a 5x86 chip (the generic designation for a Pentium class
chip) mounted on an interface that fits in the CPU slot of a 486 motherboard. Installation
is simple. Pull the old CPU, install the new one.

Most true nerds will sniff indignantly at the idea of an overdrive processor.
"Why not just replace the whole motherboard," they'll ask. And why not?
Well, for one thing, I have a limited amount of space here. Not near enough to take
you from technophobe to qualified nerd. For another, most users don't have the same
needs as the dedicated digerati. Also, though replacing the motherboard will give
you better performance than a processor upgrade, it also costs more and is not something
you want to do for your first computer DIY project. At least not with your own computer.

Out of the various upgrades we tested, Evergreen Technologies upgrades consistently
outperformed rivals, though priced well below comparable Intel upgrades. The Evergreen
486 to Pentium upgrade uses an AMD K5 133 MHz processor. In general, we saw about
a 25% boost in overall system performance over the original Intel 486/66. Your mileage
may vary. The street price for this upgrade is around $100.

I was particularly impressed with the Pentium to MMX upgrade from Evergreen. I
plugged this chip, the Austin-based IDT WinChip, into my old Dell P133. I saw major
performance boosts in almost all applications and downright rocking improvements
in multimedia performance. At a street price of around $150, it'll keep me from running
out and buying a Pentium II 400 MHz monster -- at least for a few more months. We
haven't had a chance to test the latest Evergreen upgrade chip, the MxPro, but for
a few bucks more than the MMX upgrade, it is an option to consider.

Modems, Sound Cards, Video Cards, and More

So you bought your system to cruise the information superhighway, but your modem
only does horse and buggy speeds. If you're still using a 33.6 or 28.8 modem, you
may see a big improvement by upgrading to 56k. Or you may not. If you're still running
14.4 or slower, by all means, upgrade. You'll be amazed at how much faster information
travels here in the Nineties.

Most people will see at least some increase in performance with a 56k modem. Some
will not. The number of analog to digital conversions between you and the phone company
can be a limiting factor. So can old or noisy lines. Before you invest a big $100
or more on a new 56k modem, you should test your phone lines to make sure you'll
actually see an improvement.

Use your existing modem to connect to the Web and go to http://www.3com.com/56k/need4_56k/linetest.html.
There you'll find a line test from US Robotics (3Com) that will tell you if your
phone lines can handle 56k technology. Just to be sure, repeat the test a few times.
If it consistently tells you your lines are good to go, you're good to go. Likewise,
if it consistently says no way, don't bother buying a 56k modem. If it says maybe,
or sometimes yes, sometimes no, you might still consider a new modem, but don't expect
the fastest possible connect rates.

If you'd like better graphics performance, consider a new video card, particularly
if you're a big game fan. Nothing will improve game play more than a new video card
with more memory. Even if your video card is "on the board," meaning it
is an integral part of the motherboard, you can still probably add a 3-D accelerator.
An accelerator works with your existing video card to improve graphics for most popular
games. A good accelerator card, like the Diamond Monster 3-D, can be had for well
under $100.

Some video cards also allow you to watch TV on your computer or to import video
from a VCR or camcorder. Whatever your needs or wants, always carefully check for
compatibility. Visit the Web site of the card manufacturer for detailed information.

A new audio card can also improve your multimedia experience. The better the card,
the better the sound coming out of your speakers. Plus, higher quality cards offer
extras like a graphic equalizer or a better MIDI interface. MIDI, or musical instrument
digital interface, allows you to create music on your computer using thousands of
possible instrumental voices. I recommend at least an AWE-32 sound card, which may
be found for as little as $50. The better the sound card, the more and better the
MIDI choice.

Next week we'll talk about a few more PC hardware options, including outside the box upgrades and software. We'll also take a trip through the world of Macintosh upgrades, official and unofficial.